Author: INDEPENDENT

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsMillions of Britons have been urged to submit energy meter readings to avoid paying higher bills than they need to as a 13% jump to the price cap takes effect.The estimated 5.3 million households on standard tariffs who do not have a smart meter have been urged to take action to avoid paying for energy they have already used at the new, more expensive rates that take effect…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Victoria Wood’s acclaimed sitcom Dinnerladies is set to return with a new stage adaptation, over a quarter of a century since its television debut. The production marks a significant moment, being the first commissioned by the late comedian’s estate since her death in 2016 at the age of 62.Veteran entertainer Les Dennis has been cast as maintenance man Stan, with the full ensemble for the Dinnerladies stage…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsA significant class action lawsuit is poised to target seven of Britain’s largest housebuilders, potentially seeking up to £4.5 billion in compensation for homebuyers. The legal challenge, spearheaded by Mark McLaren, a former parliamentary and legal affairs manager at consumer group Which?, alleges that consumers were forced to pay inflated prices for new-build properties due to anti-competitive practices by the firms.The action names Barratt Redrow, Bellway, The Berkeley…

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailTargeted subsidies, rather than expensive tax breaks, are the most cost-effective way of supporting employers to get young people into work, a new report suggests.The Resolution Foundation warned that the number of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) – now more than one million – risked “scarring the living standards of a generation.”The think tank said there was a gulf in the cost-effectiveness of the range of solutions proposed to…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsGerman automotive giant Volkswagen is reportedly drawing up plans for a drastic overhaul that could see 100,000 jobs eliminated in the coming years – double its previously announced targets. Senior executives are said to be considering this dramatic workforce reduction to achieve €11 billion (£9.5 billion) in cost savings by 2030, according to local media.The proposals include placing four of the company’s car manufacturing plants in Germany under…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Solidarity is the watchword in the new stage musical Pride, as it was in the feelgood 2014 film that inspired it. Set in 1984, during the height of the miners’ strike, the true-life story follows a group of London-based gay activists who start raising funds to support a Welsh mining community, having realised they have enemies in common (ie, Margaret Thatcher and the right-wing press). Pride, produced…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsThe Scottish economy has continued to demonstrate resilience despite a “challenging and uncertain” global environment, a report has found.The latest Fraser of Allander Institute quarterly economic commentary reflected a “stronger than expected” economic performance, despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East.The economic researchers have revised their forecast for Scottish GDP growth in 2026 upwards from 0.9% to 1.0%.However, the commentary also said significant risks remain as labour market…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter “I hate everyone,” says Sandra Oh’s novelist du jour and the misanthrope of this play’s title. “I used to think it was just men.” It’s one of many such proclamations in Martin Crimp’s gender-flipping but ultimately punch-pulling take on Molière’s 17th-century comedy. Here, our protagonist is not the well-to-do aristocrat Alceste, but the well-to-do author Alice whose career – and a prestigious literary prize – is at…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsA temporary VAT cut to reduce prices at family attractions such as zoos and theme parks as well as the cost of children’s cinema tickets and restaurant meals has come into effect.Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the “Great British Summer Savings” measure – which begins on Thursday – as part of a package aimed at easing the impact on the cost of living from the Iran war.Peppa Pig World,…

Get the latest entertainment news, reviews and star-studded interviews with our Independent Culture emailGet the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Get the latest entertainment news with our free Culture newsletter Stephen Mangan has questioned whether all audience members understand that “they’re in the same room” at the theatre, as he recalled one particularly shocking instance of poor etiquette.The British actor is returning to the West End for The Truth, Florian Zeller’s comedy about two unfaithful couples, in which he stars opposite Janie Dee, Sarah Hadland and Ardal O’Hanlon. Speaking not long after Rosamund Pike called out an…